


Perhaps I Am a Fool

by HimikoToga



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, i didn't beta read im sowwy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-29 21:10:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17815583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HimikoToga/pseuds/HimikoToga
Summary: He grabbed my face and that's when he said, I like that you're broken, broken like me.





	Perhaps I Am a Fool

**Author's Note:**

> This is either a belated Valentines fic or a really early one. Anyway.  
> This is my fic so I get to headcanon Shu with more sysmates.

It was kind of Anzu to set up a Valentine's day party, but perhaps her only goal was to invite some of her old friends to introduce them to Trickstar. Either way, it was a way to spend the night. 

The party wasn't anything too special, heart shaped decorations scattered across the place, a table of snacks, and a punch bowl someone had spiked, leading to some first years already stumbling around drunk. Kuro made a mental note to make sure everyone gets home safe. He was already patrolling around the party making sure no one had gotten injured in anyway or needed to be sent home early.

While doing so he noticed Shu standing in the corner of the room, sipping his red solo cup and looking rather uncomfortable. As his oldest friend Kuro decided he may as well check up on him, already heading over to him before that thought even registered.

"Hey," He said, leaning against the wall, "Ya doing alright? I thought ya were against crowded places like this."

"I am." Shu replied, not looking at Kuro. "But Mercédès is not, so against my will I ended up here. I believe she's rather infatuated with one of the boys here, but I'm not sure who."

"Mercédès?" Kuro asked, pronouncing it all wrong. "Who's she? Have ya got a girlfriend?" For some reason he always assumed Shu's standards for a woman would be entirely too high for anyone to meet. 

"Non. A system mate." Shu paused, deciding Kuro wouldn't understand what that is. "She's like Mademoiselle."

"A doll?" Kuro still didn't understand, this whole Mademoiselle talking thing was still too creepy for him to think about in detail.

Shu finally faced him, quirking an eyebrow like he was considering saying something insulting. He sipped his drink, probably taking a moment to revise what he was saying to something kinder. "Non. She's like Mademoiselle in the terms of how we're, you know." 

Kuro did not know. "Uh, no?" He replied and he was sure if Shu was less high class he would've rolled his eyes.

Shu tapped his temple with his finger, nearly spilling the drink he was still holding. "She's like how Mademoiselle and I are. What was caused by last year."

Ah. It was that, the disorder that Kuro just barely understood. "So, this Mercédès, if she wanted to come why are ya the one here?"

Shu shrugged and downed the rest of his drink, handing the empty cup to Kuro in a get-me-a-refill type fashion. "I couldn't tell you. Perhaps she had her fill of interaction, perhaps she wanted me to interact with my schoolmates. Either way I'm here, aren't I? And I cannot leave until Kagehira is ready to go. I don't feel like dampening his day and telling him I'd like to go when he's finally socializing with many more people than he usually does. I'm quite impressed that he's managing this all so well." 

Kuro assumed Shu was proud of Kagehira to a degree which is why he continued to stay while Kagehira enjoyed himself. "Oh. Well, glad yer letting Kagehira have his fun." He took the cup Shu was handing him and turned to face the direction of the punch bowl. "Am I getting ya another one?"

Shu nodded curtly. "If you would be so kind. Remember to get ice. At least a fourth of a cup of it."

What precise instructions, Kuro thought as he headed off to get Shu another drink. He tried filling the glass to the perfect amount of ice, knowing Shu would know if it was even one ice cube off, still he did it to the best of his ability. 

Shu was waiting there for him with arms crossed when Kuro came back. "Hey," Kuro said again, holding the cup out which Shu took and sipped from before saying a thank you. 

"This is three less pieces of ice than one fourth. but I'll allow it. You took a while to come back, did you stop to enjoy the merriment?" Shu said, swirling the contents of his cup round and round.

"I stopped fer a chat or two." Kuro replied, wondering if Shu was more aware of the passing time than others. Or maybe less aware since he couldn't tell just how long Kuro was gone.

"I see. At least you're enjoying yourself." Another sip, this one larger than before. Perhaps Shu was trying to make this party more tolerable by boozing it up. Or this punch was something wonderful and Kuro was missing out by not drinking it. 

"Yeah, I am. The atmosphere is pretty relaxed if ya want to talk to anyone." Kuro was trying to gently ease Shu into socializing, maybe it'd make this party less terrible to him if he had people to talk to.

"I could hardly stomach this atmosphere, I doubt I could handle talking to someone I'm not used to. Besides, people may have already interacted with someone who they believed was me." Shu said, and Kuro was unaware of how to respond to that.

Instead he just places a hand on Shu's shoulder. "Just don't cross off having a good time just this yet, kay?" Kuro is trying to help, pushing Shu in the right direction.

"Let's go sit on the nearest couch." Shu completely changed the subject. "I'm tired of standing around." He looked around until one was spotted and pointed at it. "There. Let's go." He then walked off, leaving Kuro behind to follow him.

Shu sat down with his hands in his lap, waiting for Kuro to follow. Kuro sat down beside him, slinging an arm around the couch behind Shu's shoulders. "Tired of the corner?"

"Non, Tenshouin has gotten fall-down drunk and I want to watch him collide with the floor. I thought sitting down would give me the best view." Shu replied rather bluntly and Kuro scanned the room to see just where Eichi was. 

There was the sound of a cup falling to the floor and Keito yelling something which alerted Kuro to Eichi's current location. Kuro goes to rise to help but Shu places his arm out in front of him, holding him back from completely getting up while grinning. "Hasumi's already handling this, no need to fuss."

Kuro glanced over at Shu before glancing at where Eichi was and then back at Shu before he sits back down. "You know what, you were right. I shouldn't declare fun off from this party. Watching Tenshouin make a fool of himself has, and will continue to bring me joy." Shu said, downing the rest of his drink as he watched Eichi being hauled up from the floor only to fall down again.

"Ya shouldn't take joy in that." Kuro said.

"Yet I do." Shu said with a grin, a sparkle of sadism in his eye. "Surely you've at some point taken joy in the misfortune of others."

Kuro glanced over to the side, not willing to own up to such a thing. Shu continued on talking. "You were a delinquent in the past, non? Surely you enjoyed when you got「the beatdown」on those who've wronged you." Kuro opened his mouth to respond, to say he's not like that anymore, but Shu shushes him. "You're going to say it's part of your troubled history, aren't you? I understand a troubled history."

"Ya do?" Kuro managed to get a word to in between Shu's.

"Of course I do." Shu leaned back. "I was certainly something in second year, I'll admit. It's good we have something similar." 

"Ya weren't like me. Not at all." Kuro said, bringing his arm down from the couch to rest only on Shu's shoulders. "Yer too good for that."

"You sound like Kagehira." Shu turned to face Kuro, no longer watching the disaster that is drunk teenagers. "Shouldn't you be happy that we're both troubled 「teens」? Similarities in backgrounds tend to make humans happy."

"When ya talk like that it makes ya sound like yer not one." Though sometimes Kuro did wonder if Shu was truly human at his core. He always did seem so far away from humanity.

"Some would insist I'm not." Shu placed his empty cup down on the floor. "Would that make us closer or further apart?"

Kuro paused which was apparently too much time passed for Shu. "No need to respond. You'll insist we're vastly different. You're a bad boy, aren't you?" Shu said, pronouncing bad boy like it was an entirely foreign on his tongue. Still, he didn't give Kuro a chance to say, I'm not like that, not anymore. He kept on talking. "Or were one, you would say. You'll say you were so bad I'd be ashamed to be acquainted with you." Shu laughed, the telltale laughter of someone more than a bit tipsy. "Perhaps it is because I left that you became like that. Is that fate? For us to have been separated and thus become so troubled. It must be."

"Whaddya sayin? It was sad ta be separated from you, but I wouldn't blame you fer the things I did." That must've been amusing to Shu too because he cracked another grin.

"No believer in fate? Neither am I. I don't believe any higher power has control over me. Isn't that tough of me? To say nothing controls me?" Shu asked, nudging Kuro's side.

"It's tough if ya think it is. Toughness is a concept." Kuro said and Shu frowned. He was expecting something more from Kuro.

"That's not very fun. I thought you would agree with me. Perhaps say I'm very tough." Shu nodded to himself as if agreeing he's very tough. "Though, compared to you I doubt I seem very tough. I lack your strength."

"Ya don't need strength to be tough. Strong isn't tough." Kuro's wisdom was lost on Shu, who was more or less drunkenly looking for compliments. 

"Those are awfully wise words." Shu said. "I should take notes. An Ode to Toughness, based on the words of Kiryu Kuro."

"It ain't nothing special. They say it in Martial Arts movies probably." Kuro shrugged and Shu placed a hand on his thigh.

"Don't demean yourself on wise words. You were almost impressive with that monologue." 

"Heh. Thanks." Kuro said. "Glad I sounded smart to ya."

"Yes, a rare occurrence." Shu smiled as if he said something witty and not rude. Kuro just looked at him. "My, is that not funny? I'm no good with human humor interaction."

"What, god's not funny?

"I like to think I can be funny." Shu seemed rather sure of that. "But that's not the point of this conversation! It wasn't about this or bad boys or any of that. It was about us."

"I thought it was about watching Tenshouin fall." Kuro used his free hand to gesture to Eichi, who was being held up by Keito. 

"Well, yes, that is how it originally started. And it's still funny." Shu turned away from Kuro to look at Eichi, cracking a grin before facing Kuro again. "But I want said we're similar. Troubled, non?" Shu squeezed his hand on Kuro's thigh which in response Kuro squeezed Shu's shoulder. This is normal human interaction, right? And Shu seemed fine with it.

"Troubled, huh?" Kuro repeated. "That's the conversation point you're going with?"

"Oui. Because we are. Is that not a bonding point? I believe it is so. In a way it makes us like one another." Shu said. "I like that you're troubled like me."

"I can't say that I'm an expert in conversations but I'm sure people don't go with yer troubled and I like that." 

"But I do like that. And you must like that about me." Shu may be more out of touch than he believes he is, but at least he was striking a bonding conversation, even if he was likely unsure of the words he's saying.

"I don't believe yer troubled." Kuro said.

"Do you believe I'm perfect?"

"No. Ain't no body perfect." Kuro replied, unsure if that was the response Shu was for or against.

"I see." Shu's response left no indication whether he was pleased or not so Kuro decided to keep on speaking.

"Yer pretty damn close though. Yer shows are picture perfect." Kuro continued saying.

"Mm." Shu closed his eyes, deep in thought. Or maybe just tired, alcohol had that affect on people. "I work my hardest to strive for perfection in every way, yer I am aware that I am currently shy of the mark. I thought, perhaps, we could share that similarity. "

"I don't aim fer perfection in the way ya do." Kuro said. 

Shu huffed and stiffened his posture. "Few do. But it wouldn't cost you much to blindly support me in the way of I saying we're similar."

"Ain't gonna blindly support ya. Won't that just make it harder fer us to bond?" Kuro said at which Shu huffed again. 

"I suppose you're right. Although I like to believe we're rather close, we could always get closer. Isn't that how friends work?" Shu squeezed Kuro's thigh again, this time moving his hand a tad bit up Kuro's leg.

"That's how friends work, yer right." Kuro said and Shu smiled. "But I don't advise starting conversations with yer troubled."

"I already have, and I said it's something I like about you. And I've said you should be a fan of that in me as well." Using his free hand, Shu tilted Kuro's chin to make sure the two were having direct eye contact. "But there are many things you should like about me."

Feeling as if this eye contact was too intimate Kuro averted his eyes, looking at Hinata showing off how he can do a backflip. "Course I like lots of things about ya. We're friends."

"For one who told me to enjoy the party you're certainly missing out on the atmosphere." Shu rested his forehead against Kuro's. "If I am anything I am one for doing everything to my absolute best. So I was hoping I'd be able to draw you in. But alas you seem to be too unaware of the party's mood to catch on.

"Uh. What." Kuro said, truly not understanding what Shu was now going on about. What he focused on instead was how close their faces were to one another.

"Exactly. Come indulge in the party with me." Shu continued on.

"Ya want to party?" Kuro still isn't following what Shu's said.

"Non, I want to breathe a romantic atmosphere in you." Shu lowered his hand from Kuro's chin down to his chest where he pressed it flat against. "Will you indulge me?"

Kuro averted his eyes back to Shu's face, looking into his eyes, dilated from the alcohol. "How do I indulge ya?" He said, placing his hand over the hand Shu had on his chest

"Like this," Shu pressed a kiss to Kuro's lips. "That's festive to the Valentine holiday, non? I think we've done this party well."

Kuro blushed, opening his mouth and closing it several times before managing to choke something out. "Didn't take ya for someone who could be so forward. Thought ya'd be, I 'unno,much more fancy about it."

"Ah? But that's not in the mood of this party. I am going with the flow, as they say. Did you not like it?" Shu cocked his head to the side. "My apologies if the kiss was not to your liking."

"It was fine, er, great. The kiss wasn't bad. Just didn't expect ya to act without build up. It doesn't seem like somethin ya'd do." Kuro was frankly surprised with Shu's behavior, he did, in fact, expect much more build up. Perhaps a few soliloquies or a few love letters, but he wasn't sure Shu loved him. He did talk about setting an atmosphere and following the mood, not once did he speak of love. 

"How lovely. I was worried I made a fatal error, made a fool of myself." Shu seemed like he was going to start rambling again. Kuro decided he may as well cut him off.

"No errors were made." Kuro said, only to be cut off. Which didn't seem fair as Kuro had cut Shu off first. It's like stealing from a thief, it's just unfair.

"As Wataru would say, amazing. Here I was thinking I had ruined the atmosphere instead of improving it. But if you liked it I've done right by you. I was aiming to do so." Shu smiled very sincerely this time. "I love Ryukun so I'm happy to have shared a kiss with him, even if it's in a place that makes me ill."

There it was. An I love you. But it could be alcohol speaking, or perhaps just a friendly I love you. Thinking of what Shu may feel made Kuro consider how he felt towards Shu. They had been friends since they were children, and even if they drifted apart for a bit they became close again. Was it like a cheesy romcom and he had fallen for a childhood friend? He wasn't sure, but he knew if he left Shu without an answer he'd become more than grumpy. "I love ya too," He paused, thinking that if Shu called him by his nickname perhaps he'd like Kuro to do the same, "Icchan."

Shu continued on smiling, touched by what Kuro had said. He clutched Kuro's shirt and leaned in for another kiss before stopping. "Is this alright? Can I kiss you again?"

Kuro nodded before Shu kissed him again. Kuro clutched the hand Shu had on his chest, returning the kiss as the party continued on. Unsure whether of both Shu's feelings and his own, Kuro decided just to enjoy the moment while it lasted.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't drink underage unless you want to be cool.


End file.
